Compact ejectable component assemblies in electronic devices

ABSTRACT

Electronic devices are provided with ejectable component assemblies. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray that can be loaded with one or more removable modules, wafers coupled to circuit boards, cages and retaining plates to assist in retaining the tray within the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include springs operative to engage detents in the tray to retain the tray in the assembly. The ejectable component assembly may include a tray ejector mechanism for ejecting the tray from the assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/125,474,filed Apr. 25, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to apparatuses and methods for providing compactejectable component assemblies in electronic devices.

To enhance the use of electronic devices (e.g., cellular telephones),ejectable component assemblies may be used to couple removable modulesto the device. Some known ejectable component assemblies for personalelectronic devices include a tray for receiving a removable module, anda connector coupled to a circuit board within the housing of the devicefor receiving the tray as it is inserted through an opening in thehousing. The connector may retain the tray such that the module isfunctionally connected to the circuit board. Variations in themanufacture of such electronic devices result in, for example,variations in the distance between the circuit board and the opening inthe housing through which the tray of an ejectable component assembly isto be inserted. These manufacturing variations generally create anundesirable abruptness in the profile created by the tray and theexternal surface of the housing about its opening once the tray has beeninserted.

Moreover, some known ejectable component assemblies for personalelectronic devices also include an ejector coupled to the circuit boardof the device for ejecting the tray from the connector and the housingof the device. The manufacturing variations of the device also tend tocreate variations in the distance between a user external to the deviceand the ejector, which in turn may increase the size of the electronicdevice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A compact ejectable component assembly for use in an electronic deviceis provided.

According to some embodiments of the invention, an ejectable componentassembly for use in an electronic device that includes a circuit board,a tray, and a cage may be provided. The tray may receive a removablemodule and be retained between the circuit board and the cage. The traymay include an opening through which the circuit board may establish anelectrical connection with the module. In some embodiments, theejectable component assembly may include a wafer that is electricallycoupled to the circuit board extends into the opening in the tray tocontact the module. In some embodiments, the ejectable componentassembly may include a retaining plate with an extension thatcomplements a protrusion in the tray. The extension may guide the traywhen it is inserted into or ejected from the assembly. The extension mayalso assist in retaining the tray when fully inserted in the assembly.

In some embodiments, an electronic device having a housing, a circuitboard, and a tray for receiving a module may be provided. The tray mayinclude at least one detent. The electronic device may also include atleast two springs that are operable to engage the at least one detent ofthe tray to retain the tray within the assembly. In some embodiments,the assembly may further include a compression spring that may bepositioned behind one end of the tray within the assembly. Thecompression spring may compress when the tray is inserted into theassembly and decompress when the springs disengage from the detent toassist in ejecting the tray from the assembly.

In some embodiments, an electronic device having a housing, a tray forreceiving a module, a cage for receiving the tray, and a retaining platemay be provided. The retaining plate may include at least one protrusionto engage a portion of the tray. In some embodiments, the retainingplate can include a ramp positioned such that an end of the tray restson the ramp when the tray is within the assembly. The ramp may ensurethat the module placed in the tray makes contact with the cage andprevent the module from slipping out of the tray during removal of thetray from the assembly. In some embodiments, the assembly may include anejection mechanism operable to remove the tray from the assembly. Theejection mechanism may include an ejection arm and an actuating arm thatmay pivot about a pivot point when a suitable instrument applies forceto a user contact plate. By pivoting, a tray contact plate may apply aforce to a portion of the tray toward the exterior of the assembly toeject the tray from the assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features of the present invention, its nature andvarious advantages will be more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device thatincludes an ejectable component assembly in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative ejectable componentassembly when a tray is partially inserted in an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative ejectable componentassembly when a tray is completely inserted in an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line IV-IV of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line V-V of FIG. 3 in accordance with some embodimentsof the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line VI-VI of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line VII-VII of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top elevational view of a portion of the illustrativeejectable component assembly of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9A is a top elevational view of an illustrative ejection mechanismfor use with an ejectable component assembly in accordance with someembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of the ejection mechanism of FIG. 9Ataken from line IXB-IXB of FIG. 9A in accordance with some embodimentsof the invention;

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assemblyof FIG. 2 taken from line X-X of FIG. 2 when the tray is in a firstposition in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assemblyof FIGS. 2 taken from line X-X of FIG. 2 when the tray is in a secondposition in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an illustrative module tray inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an illustrative module tray having acosmetic outer surface in accordance with some embodiments of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Apparatus and methods are provided for improving the construction ofejectable component assemblies, and are described below with referenceto FIGS. 1-12.

The following discussion describes some embodiments of an electronicdevice that includes at least one ejectable component assembly. The term“electronic device” can include, but is not limited to, music players,video players, still image players, game players, other media players,music recorders, video recorders, cameras, other media recorders,radios, medical equipment, calculators, cellular telephones, otherwireless communication devices, personal digital assistants, remotecontrols, pagers, laptop computers, printers, or combinations thereof.In some cases, the electronic devices may perform a single function(e.g., an electronic device dedicated to playing music) and in othercases, the electronic devices may perform several functions (e.g., anelectronic device that plays music, displays video, stores pictures, andreceives and transmits telephone calls).

The electronic devices may generally be any portable, mobile, hand-held,or miniature electronic device so as to allow a user, for example, tolisten to music, play games, record videos, take pictures, and/orconduct communications operations (e.g., telephone calls). Someminiature electronic devices may have a form factor that is smaller thanthat of hand-held electronic devices, such as an iPod™ available byApple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Illustrative miniature electronicdevices can be integrated into various objects that include, but are notlimited to, watches, rings, necklaces, belts, accessories for belts,headsets, accessories for shoes, virtual reality devices, other wearableelectronics, accessories for sporting equipment, accessories for fitnessequipment, key chains, or any combination thereof. Alternatively,electronic devices that incorporate an ejectable component assembly maynot be portable at all.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device thatincludes an ejectable component assembly in accordance with someembodiments of the invention. Electronic device 10 can include at leastone user input component assembly 12 that allows a user to interfacewith the device, at least one device output component assembly 14 thatprovides the user with device generated information, at least oneejectable component assembly 16 that allows a user to insert and eject aremovable module into and from the device, and a protective housing 18that at least partially encloses the one or more input, output, andejectable component assemblies of the device.

Component assemblies 12, 14, and 16 can include any type of componentassembly operative to receive and/or transmits digital and/or analogdata (e.g., audio data, video data, other types of data, or acombination thereof). Input component assembly 12 may include anysuitable input mechanism such as, for example, sliding switches,buttons, keypads, dials, scroll wheels, touch screen displays,electronics for accepting audio and/or visual information, antennas,infrared ports, or combinations thereof. Output component assembly 14may include any suitable output component forms such as, for example,audio speakers, headphones, audio line-outs, visual displays, antennas,infrared ports, or combinations thereof. Ejectable component assembly 16may include any suitable assembly operative to insert and eject aremovable module from the device (see, e.g., removable module 30 of FIG.2). The removable module may include, for example, integrated circuitcards (ICCs), chip cards, memory cards, flash memory cards,microprocessor cards, smart cards, such as subscriber identity module(SIM) cards, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the removablemodule may contain electronic circuitry from which the electronic devicemay read data and/or to which the device may write data.

Ejectable component assembly 16 can include module tray 20 that may beinsertable into and ejectable from housing 18 through housing opening19. In some embodiments, tray 20 may be fully removed from assembly 16and/or device 10 when ejected, or instead may be restricted in somefashion from being completely removed from assembly 16 and/or device 10.For example, a portion of tray 20 may be restrained within assembly 16when tray 20 is ejected from housing 18. Tray 20 may include moduleholder 24, first tray end 21, second tray end 23, and body portion 22extending therebetween. First end 21 may include an aestheticallypleasing outer surface to provide a cosmetic surface. First end 21, trayend 22, and body portion 22 may define the periphery and/or walls ofmodule holder 24. Module holder 24 may be operative to receive and holdremovable module 30

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative ejectable componentassembly when a tray is partially inserted in an electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 3 is aperspective view of an illustrative ejectable component assembly when atray is completely inserted in an electronic device in accordance withsome embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, tray 20 may beinserted into or ejected from ejectable component assembly 16, which mayinclude cage 40 operative to receive and/or restrain tray 20 andremovable module 30. Cage 40 may be placed opposite circuit board 50 ofelectronic device 10 such that tray 20 may be positioned and retainedbetween cage 40 and circuit board 50. For example, module 30 may beplaced in tray 20 and slid into an opening of cage 40.

Cage 40 can include a top surface and at least two sidewalls. The topsurface may be raised above circuit board 50 and the sidewalls mayextend toward circuit board 50 from the top surface such that thesidewalls may be substantially perpendicular to the top surface (e.g.,cage 40 may resemble an upside-down U-shape coupled to circuit board50). The orientation of the top surface and side walls may allow spacefor tray 20 and/or module 30 to be retained within cage 40. For example,at least one interior surface of cage 40 may contact module 30 to retainmodule 30 in holder 24 when in cage 40. In some embodiments, at leastone dimension of cage 40 may be substantially the same size as tray 20.For example, height 44 and width 45 of cage 40 may be substantially thesame as the height and width of tray 20 and/or removable module 30,respectively. Cage 40 may have any suitable length 43. For example, cage40 may or may not extend over the entirety of tray 20 when tray 20 isfully inserted into assembly 16.

Cage 40 may be coupled to any suitable component of assembly 16, circuitboard 50 and/or device 10, and have any suitable shape. Cage 40 may becoupled to any suitable component using any suitable approach, includingfor example soldering, surface mount technology, welding, an adhesive,or any other suitable approach. Cage 40 may be formed of any suitablematerial, such as plastic, glass, metal, ceramic materials, epoxies,composite materials, or any other suitable material. Cage 40 may beformed using any suitable process, for example molding, casting,forming, forging, machining, joining, or any other suitable process.

If cage 40 is formed of a material or is coupled to an element that maystore excess electrical charge, cage 40 may be grounded to a circuitboard within device 10 or another conductive element within device 10 todissipate the excess charge. This may help avoid excess charges built upin cage 40 damaging or corrupting the parts or processes taking placewithin assembly 16 and/or device 10.

Circuit board 50 may be any type of circuit board, including for exampleprinted circuit boards (PCBs), logic boards, printed wiring boards,etched wiring boards, and other known boards that may be used tomechanically support and electronically connect electrical components(e.g., I/O component assemblies 12, 14, and 16 via couplingcircuitries). Circuit board 50 can be constructed using one or morelayers of a non-conductive substrate and signal conducting pathways. Thesignal conducting pathways may exist in one or more layers or in eachlayer of the non-conductive substrate. The signal conducting layers,sometimes referred to as traces, members, or leads, may be a metalconductive material (e.g., copper or gold) or an optical conductivematerial (e.g., fiber optics). When one or more of I/O componentassemblies 12, 14, and 16 are physically and electrically coupled toboard 50 via coupling circuitries, board 50 may communicate with the oneor more component assemblies of device 10 using the signal conductinglayers.

To retain tray 20 at portions over which cage 40 does not extend,assembly 16 may include retaining plate 60. Retaining plate 60 may becoupled to any suitable element within assembly 16, circuit board 50,and/or device 10. Retaining plate 60 may be of any suitable shape andplaced in any suitable location within device 10 to retain at leastportions of tray 20 and/or module 30. For example, retaining plate 60can have a shape that substantially complements portions of tray 20and/or module 30 when tray 20 and/or module 30 is fully or partiallyinserted into device 10. Retaining plate 60 may include curved front andrear edges which may prevent an edge of module 30 from catching onassembly 16 during insertion into or ejection from assembly 16.

Retaining plate 60 may be formed of any suitable material, including forexample plastic, glass, metal, ceramic materials, epoxies, compositematerials, or any other suitable material. Retaining plate 60 may beformed through any suitable process, for example, casting, molding,forming, forging, machining, joining, or combinations thereof. Ifretaining plate 60 is manufactured from a material that may store excesselectrical charge, retaining plate 60 may be grounded to circuit board50 or another conductive element within device 10 to dissipate theexcess charge. This may help avoid excess charges built up in retainingplate 60 damaging or corrupting the parts or processes taking placewithin assembly 16 and/or device 10.

Retaining plate 60 may include wedge ramp 62 operative to assist inretaining module 30 in tray 20. Ramp 62 may be of any suitable shape andbe placed in any suitable position within retaining plate 60. In someembodiments, ramp 62 may be positioned such that the tip of tray 20(e.g., second tray end 23) is maintained away from circuit board 50.This may allow ramp 62 to bias tray 20 up to secure module 30 betweenmodule holder 24 and the bottom of cage 40, and prevent tray 20 fromslipping underneath module 30 during removal (e.g., when the walls ofmodule holder 24 are less than the height of module 30).

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line IV-IV of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention. FIG. 4 may thus be a side view of assembly16. Cage 40 may include lip 42 or other curved edges to prevent tray 20and/or module 30 from catching on cage 40 during insertion or removableof tray 20 from assembly 16. Retaining plate 60 may extend into orthrough cage 40 to further assist in retaining tray 20 by providing moresurface area for retaining plate 60 to contact and thus restrain tray20.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line V-V of FIG. 3 in accordance with some embodimentsof the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectablecomponent assembly of FIG. 3 taken from line VI-VI of FIG. 3 inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 maythus be cross sections of assembly 16 along different parallel planes.Assembly 16 may include wafer 52, which may be mechanically supportedand electronically connected to other components in device 10 by circuitboard 50. Wafer 52 can be, for example, any integrated circuit (IC) suchas a microchip, silicon chip, or computer chip. In some embodiments,wafer 52 may provide an interface for module 30 to electricallycommunicate with other components in device 10. For example, wafer 52may connect to an electrically conductive portion of module 30 (e.g.,electronic circuitry 32).

In some embodiments, wafer 52 may include one or more electrical pins 54extending beyond the periphery of wafer 52 to contact module 30.Electrical pins 54 may extend into opening 26 of tray 20 when tray 20 isat least partially inserted into assembly 16 to contact electroniccircuitry 32 of module 30. For example, electrical pins 54 may be biasedto deflect upward through opening 26 in tray 20.

Electrical pins 54 may have any suitable shape. For example, electricalpins 54 may include springs or wedges operative to contact module 30.Electrical pins 54 may be coupled to any suitable location or portion ofwafer 52, for example to form a cantilever spring. Electrical pins 54may be formed from any suitable conductive material (e.g., a metallicconductor, semiconductor, or superconductor) to communicate withelectronic circuitry 32 of module 30.

Electronic circuitry 32 may be provided on first surface 31 of module 30such that when placed in tray 20, electronic circuitry 32 of module 30may face holder 24 of tray 20 and may be exposed through opening 26 oftray 20. This may allow electronic circuitry 32 to contact electricalpins 54 of wafer 52, as shown in FIG. 5. Tray 20 may include curvedsurfaces to prevent tray 20 from catching on electrical pins 54 whentray 20 is inserted or ejected from housing 18.

Electronic circuitry 32 can include any suitable integrated circuit(IC), such as a microchip, silicon chip, or computer chip that includessemiconductor and passive components that have been manufactured in thesurface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material on surface 31 ofmodule 30. The electrical contact between the semiconductor componentsand electrical pins 54 may allow wafer 52 to read data from or writedata into module electronic circuitry 32. The data read from and writteninto electronic circuitry 32 may take any electrical form, for exampledigital or analog, and the communication between electronic circuitry 32and wafer 52 may be synchronous or asynchronous.

Cage 40 may include one or more springs 41 on the cage surface facingmodule 30 for contacting and forcing or biasing removable module 30towards holder 24. The force applied by springs 41 may also bias module30 towards electrical pins 54 of wafer 52, thus enhancing electricalcontact. Springs 41 may include any suitable type of spring, protrusion,wedge or other suitable component to force or bias module 30 towardswafer 52. For example, springs 41 may include a tension spring,extension spring, compression spring, torsional spring, wire spring,coil spring, flat spring, cantilever spring, helical spring, hairspring,balance spring, leaf spring, or any combination thereof. Alternatively,springs 41 may be protrusions operative to deflect Springs 41 may becoupled to cage 40 using any suitable approach or may instead or inaddition be constructed as part of cage 40 (e.g., as a protrusion orcutout).

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly ofFIG. 3 taken from line VII-VII of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, portions of tray 20may lie in the same horizontal plane as electrical pins 54 and/or wafer52 when tray 20 is being ejected from, inserted into, or is fullyinserted in assembly 16. This may reduce the height required toaccommodate wafer 52 in assembly 16. For example, portions of wafer 52may protrude into opening 26 of tray 20. By nesting wafer 52 with tray20 the overall thickness or height of assembly 16 can be reduced by atleast the thickness of tray 20. For example, the thickness or overallheight of assembly 16 may be reduced (e.g., reduced by 0.30 mm, forexample from 1.85 mm to 1.55 mm). As shown in FIG. 7, wafer 52 canprotrude into opening 26 of tray 20 and be in the same horizontal planeas portions of tray 20.

As described above, retaining plate 60 may be operative to engage andretain tray 20. Retaining plate 60 can include retaining plate extension61 constructed to complement tray protrusion 28 of tray 20. Plateextension 61 and tray protrusion 28 may form complementing features toassist in guiding tray 20 into assembly 16 (e.g., towards wafer 52) andto retain the periphery of tray 20.

FIG. 8 is a top elevational view of a portion of the illustrativeejectable component assembly of FIG. 3 in accordance with someembodiments of the invention. In some embodiments, tray 20 may includeat least one notch (e.g., detents 27) along tray protrusions 28. Detents27 may be operative to receive a spring mechanism for holding tray 20within assembly 16. Spring mechanisms 126 is fixed at one end and biasedtowards tray 20. For example, detents 27 may be operative to receivespring mechanisms 126 such that when tray 20 is fully inserted in theelectronic device, spring mechanism 126 may engage at least one detent27.

In some embodiments, electronic device 10 may include secondary spring124 with spring arms 122. Spring arms 122 may be operative to applypressure against spring mechanism 126 to retain spring mechanism 126engaged in detents 27. This may increase the total force applied todetents 27 and further ensure that tray 20 remains substantiallyimmobile within device 10.

Both the spring mechanisms 126 and the spring arms 122 may be displacedto disengage spring mechanisms 126 from detents 27 and eject tray 20from electronic device 10. To assist in the ejection of tray 20,compression spring 130 may coupled to retaining plate 60 such thatcompression spring 130 is placed behind and/or aligned with end 23 oftray 20 when tray 20 is inserted in assembly 16. When tray 20 ispositioned in assembly 16, spring 130 may be compressed and exert aforce on end 23 toward the exterior of the housing of the device. Then,as spring mechanisms 126 disengage from detents 27, spring 130 maydecompress and exert a force on end 23 to eject tray 20.

Spring arms 122, secondary spring 124, spring mechanism 126, andcompression spring 130 may be coupled to any suitable element withinassembly 16 and/or device 10. Spring arms 122, secondary spring 124,spring mechanism 126, and compression spring 130 may be of any suitableshape and placed in any suitable location within assembly 16. Theseelements may be of any suitable spring type, for example, tensionspring, extension spring, compression spring, torsional spring, wirespring, coil spring, flat spring, cantilever spring, helical spring,hairspring, balance spring, or leaf spring, or any combination thereof,as to effectively assist in ejecting and/or retaining tray 20. Springarms 122, secondary spring 124, spring mechanism 126, and compressionspring 130 may be formed of any suitable material, for example, plastic,glass, metal, ceramic raw materials, epoxies, concrete, plaster, clay,or composite materials, or any other suitable material, or combinationsthereof. Additionally, these elements may be formed through any suitablemethod, for example, casting, molding, forming, forging, machining, orjoining, or combinations thereof.

If one or more of the springs (i.e., spring arms 122, secondary spring124, spring mechanism 126, or compression spring 130) are formed of amaterial or are coupled to an element that may store excess electricalcharge, the springs may be grounded to circuit board 50 or anotherconductive element within device 10 to dissipate the excess charge. Thismay help avoid excess charges built up in the springs and prevent damageto components of assembly 16 and device 10.

In some embodiments, the ejectable component assembly may include amechanism for ejecting the tray. FIG. 9A is a top elevational view of anillustrative ejection mechanism for use with an ejectable componentassembly in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 9Bis a cross-sectional view of the ejection mechanism of FIG. 9A takenfrom line IXB-IXB of FIG. 9A in accordance with some embodiments of theinvention. A tray ejecting mechanism (e.g., tray ejector 90) forejecting tray 120 from an electronic device (e.g., device 10, FIG. 1)may be incorporated in ejectable component assembly 116. Tray ejector 90can include base 92 that may be coupled to the housing of the electronicdevice by pivot 91. Tray ejector 90 may also include actuating arm 94that may extend from pivot 91 in a first direction and be coupled touser contact plate 93, and ejection arm 96 that may also extend frompivot 91 in a second direction and be coupled to tray contact plate 95.Tray ejector 90 can be provided such that actuating arm 94 and ejectionarm 96 may pivot about pivot 91 in the direction of arrow 91′.

Tray ejector 90 can be provided such that actuating arm 94 may be biasedwith respect to pivot 91 (e.g., by a spring), whereby user contact plate93 abuts or is substantially adjacent to the interior of housing 118near tray hole 129 and housing hole 117. For example, a spring may exerta force on actuating arm 94 that may keep actuating arm 94 (and as aresult user contact place 93) in place abutted with the interior ofhousing 118, absent any other forces. First end 121 of tray 120 mayinclude first end tray hole 129. Tray hole 129 may be substantiallyaligned with a hole in the device's housing (e.g., housing hole 117)when tray 120 is inserted into ejectable component assembly 116. Theseholes may provide access to user contact plate 93 using a suitableinstrument.

Using ejector 90, a user of the device may eject tray 120 from theelectronic device to access a module holder or a module plated in thetray. For example, a user may insert a paperclip, pin, or any othersuitable instrument through tray hole 129 and housing hole 117 (e.g., inthe direction of arrow 99) to press user contact plate 93. Theinstrument may exert a force against user contact plate 93 in thedirection of arrow 99 and cause actuating arm 94 to pivot about pivot 91in the direction of arrow 91′. This may also cause ejection arm 96 topivot in the same direction (e.g., both arms may pivot in the directionof arrow 91′) and cause tray contact plate 95 to move in the directionof arrow 98, which is generally opposite to that of arrow 99. Themovement of tray contact plate 95 may exert a force against tray 120,thereby forcing tray 120 in the direction of arrow 98 and releasing tray120 from its retained position.

Tray contact plate 95 may contact any suitable portion of tray 120. Insome embodiments, tray contact plate 95 may contact a portion of thebottom side of tray 120 that surrounds opening 126 (e.g., as shown inFIG. 9A for illustrative purposes). Tray contact plate 95 may have anysuitable shape to exert force against tray 120. For example, traycontact plate 95 may be profiled (e.g., to help center the force againsttray 120). As another example, user contact plate 93 may be curved orconcave shaped, which may help keep the tip of a paperclip or othersuitable instrument centered on the appropriate portion of the contactplate.

All the components of tray ejector 90 (e.g., pivot 91, base 92, usercontact place 93, actuating arm 94, tray contact plate 95, and ejectionarm 96) may be coupled to any suitable element within assembly 116and/or the electronic device. For example, actuating arm 94 and ejection96 may be positioned and sized to assist in ejecting tray 20 when theextension arms are pivoted about pivot 91. The elements included in trayejector 90 may be formed of any suitable material, for example, plastic,glass, metal, ceramic materials, epoxies, composite materials, or anyother suitable material.

If one or more of the elements are formed from a material or are coupledto an element that may store excess electrical charge, the elements maybe grounded to a circuit board or another conductive element within theelectronic device to dissipate the excess charge. This may help avoidexcess charges built up in the elements damaging or corrupting the partsor processes taking place within assembly 116 and/or the device.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assemblyof FIG. 2 taken from line X-X of FIG. 2 when the tray is in a firstposition in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 10Bis a cross-sectional view of the ejectable component assembly of FIGS. 2taken from line X-X of FIG. 2 when the tray is in a second position inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention. In some embodiments,tray 20 may include bridge 80. Bridge 80 may bridge a gap formed byprotrusions 28 not connecting across opposite sides of tray 20. Bridge80 may be in any suitable location in tray 20, for example along secondend 23. The bottom of bridge 80 may be curved to help tray 20 avoidcatching on elements within assembly 16 while being inserted or removedfrom assembly 16 (e.g., bridge 80 may slide over wafer 52). This mayallow portions of wafer 52 to lie in the same horizontal plane asportions of tray 20.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an illustrative module tray inaccordance with some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 12 is aperspective view of an illustrative module tray having a cosmetic outersurface in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Asdescribed above in connection with tray 20 (FIG. 2), tray 220 mayinclude first end 221, second end 223 and body portion 222.

Tray 220 may include module holder 224 incorporated in body portion 222for holding a removable module. Holder 224 can be sized to substantiallymatch that of a module (e.g., module 30, FIG. 5), such that the modulecan be snap-fitted or releasably retained in holder 224. Holder 224 mayinclude opening 226 through which a portion of the removable module maybe exposed. For example, opening 226 may allow electrical circuitry ofthe electronic device (e.g., electronic device 10, FIG. 1) to accessdata from the module through opening 226 when tray 220 is partially orfully inserted into the device. To reduce the profile of tray 220, atleast three sides of tray 220 (e.g., all sides except for the sideadjacent first end 221) may be lower than the top surface of a moduleplaced in the tray.

Tray 220 may include protrusions 228 extending from body portion 222 toguide tray 220 within an electronic device assembly. The top ofprotrusions 228 may or may not be in the same horizontal plane as thetop of step 281 and/or the top of module holder 224. In someembodiments, protrusions 228 may include detents 227. Detents 227 may beplaced on the top, bottom, or various sides of tray 220 (e.g., side wall225), protrusions 228, step 281, or module holder 224. The depth ofdetents 227 may be selected based on any suitable criteria, includingfor example to receive a spring mechanism for securing tray 220 in anassembly.

In some embodiments, the surfaces of tray 220 (e.g., first end 221, bodyportion 222, second end 223, module holder 224, side wall 225, detents227, protrusions 228, bridge 280, or step 281) may be curved to preventtray 220 from catching on elements within an assembly or device whentray 220 is inserted or ejected from the housing.

In some embodiments, first end 221 may include cosmetic surface 230, asshown in FIG. 12. Cosmetic surface 230 may include first end tray hole229, which may be placed anywhere along cosmetic surface 230 and haveany suitable size and shape. Tray hole 229 may be cylindrical to allowany suitable instrument enter the interior of the housing of a deviceand manipulate an assembly. For example, the instrument may be used toassist in ejecting tray 220 from the housing.

Tray 220, or portions of tray 220, can be formed using any suitableprocess and any suitable material. Suitable processes may includecasting, molding, forming, forging, machining, joining, or any othersuitable process. In some embodiments, tray 220 can be formed using aninjection molding technique, for example, a double shot injectionmolding technique. Suitable materials for tray 220 may include plastic,glass, metal, ceramic materials, epoxies, or composite materials, or anyother suitable material.

If tray 220 is formed of a conductive material, tray 220 can be anodizedand coated such that it may be insulated and rendered substantially notconductive. To further avoid electrical shock to the device, one or moreportions of anodized metal tray 220 can be exposed, for example by laseretching, to contact one or more grounding portions of the assembly toremove the charge. The grounding portions may be made of any suitableconductive material and may be placed in any suitable location as toeffectively contact the exposed portions of tray 20 when tray 20 isfully inserted or as tray 20 is being inserted into device 10.

While there have been described electronic devices with compactejectable component assemblies, it is to be understood that many changesmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. It will also be understood that various directional andorientational terms such as “upper” and “lower,” “length” and “height,”and the like are used herein only for convenience, and that no fixed orabsolute directional or orientational limitations are intended by theuse of these words. For example, the devices of this invention can haveany desired orientation. If reoriented, different directional ororientational terms may need to be used in their description, but thatwill not alter their fundamental nature as within the scope and spiritof this invention. Moreover, an electronic device constructed inaccordance with the principles of the invention may be of any suitablethree-dimensional shape, including, but not limited to, a sphere, cone,octahedron, or combination thereof, rather than a hexahedron, asillustrated by FIGS. 1-12. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments,which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than oflimitation, and the invention is limited only by the claims whichfollow.

1. An ejectable component assembly for use in an electronic device,comprising: a circuit board; a tray operative to receive a module, thetray comprising an aperture through which the circuit board mayestablish an electrical connection with the module; and a cage definingan enclosure, the cage coupled to the circuit board, wherein the tray isretained between the circuit board and the cage.
 2. The ejectablecomponent assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a wafer electricallycoupled to the circuit board, wherein at least a portion of the wafer isoperative to extend into the aperture to contact the module.
 3. Theejectable component assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least oneportion comprises at least one electrical pin extending from the surfaceof the wafer.
 4. The ejectable component assembly of claim 3, whereinthe at least one electrical pin is operative to deflect when the tray isinserted between the circuit board and the cage.
 5. The ejectablecomponent assembly of claim 2, wherein the tray comprises at least onecurved surface to prevent the tray from snaring the wafer as the tray isinserted between the circuit board and the cage.
 6. The ejectablecomponent assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a retaining platecomprising at least one extension, wherein the extension is operative toengage a portion of the tray.
 7. The ejectable component assembly ofclaim 6, wherein the tray further comprises a protrusion, the protrusionoperative to complement the retaining plate extension.
 8. The ejectablecomponent assembly of claim 6, wherein the retaining plate is coupled tothe cage.
 9. The ejectable component assembly of claim 1, wherein thetray comprises a cosmetic outer surface coupled to a tray body.
 10. Theejectable component assembly of claim 9, wherein the tray body andcosmetic outer surface are manufactured using a double shot moldingprocess.
 11. An electronic device, comprising: a housing; a circuitboard; a tray operative to receive a module, the module in communicationwith the circuit board when the tray is inserted in the housing, thetray comprising at least one detent; a first spring operative to engagethe at least one detent; and a secondary spring operative to retain thefirst spring engaged with the at least one detent.
 12. The electronicdevice of claim 11, wherein the tray further comprises at least twodetents positioned on opposite sides of the tray.
 13. The electronicdevice of claim 11, wherein: the tray comprises a proximal end and adistal end, the proximal end located adjacent to the periphery of thehousing; and the first spring comprising a cantilever spring fixedadjacent to the proximal end of the tray.
 14. The electronic device ofclaim 13, wherein the secondary spring comprises a cantilever springfixed adjacent to the distal end of the tray.
 15. The electronic deviceof claim 14, wherein the free end of the first spring is positionedbetween the at least one detent and the free end of the secondaryspring.
 16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the secondaryspring is operative to exert a force pressing the first spring into thedetent.
 17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein: the traycomprises a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end locatedadjacent to the periphery of the housing; and further comprising acompression spring coupled to the housing and positioned adjacent to thedistal end of the tray, wherein the compression spring is compressedwhen the tray is inserted in the housing.
 18. The electronic device ofclaim 17, wherein the compression spring is operative to eject the trayfrom the housing when the first spring releases the at least one detent.19. An electronic device with a removable module, comprising: a housing;a tray for receiving the removable module and operative to be placedwithin the housing; a cage coupled to the housing and forming anenclosure for receiving the tray; and a retaining plate extending withinthe cage, the retaining plate comprising at least one protrusionoperative to engage a portion of the tray.
 20. The electronic device ofclaim 19, wherein the retaining plate is in contact with at least threesides of the tray when the tray is placed within the housing.
 21. Theelectronic device of claim 19, wherein the retaining plate furthercomprises a ramp positioned such that an end of the tray rests on theramp when the tray is placed within the housing.
 22. The electronicdevice of claim 21, wherein the ramp is operative to maintain theremovable module placed in the tray in contact with the cage.
 23. Theelectronic device of claim 21, wherein: the tray comprises a depressionfor receiving the removable module, the depression defining at leastthree side walls; and the ramp is operative to lift the tray such thatthe removable module remains in contact with the at least three sidewalls.
 24. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising aneject mechanism for removing the tray from the housing, the ejectmechanism comprising: an ejection arm operative to contact the tray; ashoulder screw forming a pivot point for the ejection arm; and anactuating arm coupled to the ejection arm around the shoulder screw, theactuating arm comprising a recessed pocket for receiving an instrument,wherein the ejection arm is operative to eject the tray when a force isapplied to the actuating arm.